Acid Reflux Drugs Raise Stomach Cancer Risk
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New research suggests long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) – medications used to treat acid reflux – more than doubles your risk for stomach cancer, also called gastric cancer. This study confirms earlier research linking PPIs to higher stomach cancer risk and takes a closer look at the role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), bacteria in the gut associated with the development of stomach cancer.
Although stomach cancer risk rises with higher PPI doses and the duration of treatment, according to the researchers, and elimination of H. pylori from the gut lowers this risk, a significant percentage of people who take PPIs develop gastric cancer. Cancer of the stomach is the third leading cause of cancer death in the world.
For this study, the researchers compared the use of PPIs with another type of acid reflux drug – histamine H2 receptor antagonists, or H2 blockers – in 63,397 adults. They discovered that PPI use leads to a 2.44 times higher risk for stomach cancer and that daily use increases the risk 4.55 times. Stomach cancer risk is five times higher in those who use PPIs for one year, six times higher after two or more years, and more than eight times higher after three or more years. Results of the study were published online in the journal Gut.
Sourced from: BMJ
Published On: Nov 1, 2017
Severe Hot Flashes Linked to Sleep Apnea
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Sleep disturbances are common in menopausal woman – night sweats and hot flashes affect approximately 80 percent of women approaching menopause. But is there a link between hot flashes and related heart risks and serious sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea? A study conducted by researchers from The North American Menopause Society looked at this possible association.
In menopausal women, those who reported severe night sweats had a 1.87 times higher risk for sleep apnea than women reporting mild or no hot flashes. Mayo Clinic questionnaires completed by 1,691 women suggest 24.9 percent are in the intermediate and high-risk categories for obstructive sleep apnea. Most of these women are older and have a higher body mass index (BMI) and higher rates of hypertension.
Sleep apnea is more common in men than women. In women, the condition occurs more often with age and weight gain. About 53 percent of menopausal women who experience sleep disturbances are diagnosed with a sleep disorder like obstructive sleep apnea. But women often have different symptoms of sleep apnea than men, making the diagnosis more difficult. Men typically experience loud snoring, while women have insomnia, headaches, fatigue, depression, and anxiety, which could be attributed to menopause or other conditions. An accurate diagnosis is important because sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.
Sourced from: The North American Menopause Society
Published On: Nov 1, 2017
Could Your Meds Affect Your Driving?
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Many people using prescription medications that could impair their ability to drive safely have not been warned by a doctor, pharmacist, or drug label that the medicine may affect them in this way, finds a new study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. Nearly 20 percent of study participants had recently used a prescription drug that should have come with such a warning.
For this study, researchers used information from the 2013-2014 National Roadside Survey involving 7,405 drivers at 60 sites throughout the United States who were randomly selected and asked about their prescription drug use. The percentages of those who reported receiving a warning about driving while taking their medication varied by drug type:
- 86 percent for prescription sedatives
- 85 percent for narcotics
- 58 percent for stimulants
- 63 percent for antidepressants
The researchers say it’s possible that study participants actually were warned that their meds could impair driving ability and did not retain this information.
Sourced from: Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
Published On: Nov 1, 2017